LAUSR

The DNA N6-methyladenine (6 mA) modification is a prevalent epigenetic mark in prokaryotes, but the low abundance of 6 mA in eukaryotes has recently received attention. The possible role of 6 mA as an epigenetic mark in eukaryotes is starting to be recognized. This review article addresses the epigenetic roles of 6 mA in eukaryotes. The existence of 6 mA in metazoans and plants, the correlation of 6 mA with gene expression, the enzymes catalyzing the deposition and removal of the 6 mA modification, the relationship of 6 mA to nucleosome positioning, the 6 mA interaction with chromatin, its role in tumorigenesis and other physiological conditions/diseases and technical issues in 6 mA detection/profiling and bioinformatics analysis are described. New directions and unresolved issues (e.g., the base-pair-resolution 6 mA-sequencing method and gene activation vs. repression) in 6 mA research are discussed.